Moyes’ 50 failings in 50 games

It has, without hint of hyperbole, been the most disastrous season at Manchester United in a quarter-century. Transition from Sir Alex Ferguson may have proven difficult whomever was appointed at the club, but in David Moyes there is an increasing body of evidence that the club’s executive has made a serious mistake.

After all “transition” is a word that can be applied to Manchester City, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Chelsea to different levels of success or failure this season.

But Moyes it is – and the Scot has undoubtedly made mistakes across his 50 games in charge. From pre-season planning, to transfer farce, coaching methodology and those oh so very odd press conferences – Rant takes a look. In no particular order of importance.

PRE-SEASON

1. Pre-season purgatory
When Rant argued back in August that United’s pre-season focused too strongly on marketing, with too few quality opponents scheduled, the prevailing wisdom appeared to be, ‘this is always the way’. Yet, with a tough start to the season the Reds began the campaign undercooked on the ball and over-baked without it. Little wonder, with Moyes’ boot camp consisting of long-running aerobic drills and very little ball work.

2. Ruining Kagawa’s preparation
Kagawa has suffered for almost constant football over the past five seasons, yet Moyes’ split the Japanese player’s summer break in two, disrupting what should have been a carefully managed programme. Kagawa was recalled early to join a series of marketing events on the Japan leg of United’s summer tour – appearing first at an extended press-conference in Tokyo, then playing 45 minutes of a tepid friendly. Kagawa was then sent back on holiday again. Sensible it was not.

TRANSFER BUSINESS

3. Summer transfer market madness
Cesc Fabregas, Ander Herrera, Gareth Bale, Leighton Baines, Sami Khedira, Daniele De Rossi, Thiago Alcântara – and the aforementioned Fellaini. FELLAINI!! It seems as if the only impostor attempting to muscle in on a hitherto smooth, if under-funded, transfer machine was Moyes himself. After all, if the ‘word-on-the-street’ is accurate Moyes simply didn’t want Alcântara – available for a bargain £17 million – when the club had put in much of the groundwork. What the very f*ck.

4. Fellaini farce
The Belgian’s transfer was a farce unworthy of far lesser clubs than United, but one foisted on an outfit previously proud of its professionalism. That United paid £4 million over Fellaini’s buy-out clause is embarrassment enough. That the midfielder should prove wholly unworthy of a place in the Reds’ squad simply adds salt to a gaping wound.

5. iPad idiocy
It’s all very good installing a “high tech scouting system” at Carrington, including iPads and analytics, but if the outcome is ‘Dithering Dave’ failing to deliver quality acquisitions then little improvement has occurred. Evidence that Alcântara was lined-up for a transfer before Moyes delayed on the deal is strong, while no tablet technology can save Moyes from the disaster that has been Fellaini’s acquisition.

CHOOSING FAVOURITES

6. Pandering to Wayne Rooney
It started in the summer: Moyes’ sycophantic and desperate need to place the Scouser on a pedestal rarely deserved. Not only had Rooney spent a summer desperate to engineer a transfer out of Old Trafford, but as Ferguson’s time drew to a close the striker suffered his worst campaign as a United player. In the intervening months Rooney has occasionally sparkled, but all too often simply been flattered by a manager desperate to please. It is, as the old phrase concludes, little more than a deception.

7. Not picking to form
There were times during United’s 3-0 victory at West Bromwich Albion in March that striker Robin van Persie appeared to be staring at his own shoes – sulking as if a teenager bared from attending a late-night party. It was perhaps the nadir, injuries aside, of van Persie’s season; one in which the Dutchman has made it blatantly obvious he is no longer happy. Yet, Danny Welbeck and Javier Hernández have spent most of the season on the sidelines.

COACHING

8. Backroom turmoil
There has been much debate around Moyes’ decision to sack former assistant manager Mike Phelan along with goalkeeping coach Eric Steele. The Scot’s failure to retain Rene Meulensteen has also been the subject of many column inches. Whatever the reason, the loss of knowledge, experience and link between management and players has proven to be devastating to United’s cause. Moyes should have done better.

9. Giggs sidelined
Moyes and Giggs did not have a dressing room confrontation, but the Welshman’s limited involvement in coaching this seasons is reportedly in no small part due to differences in philosophy. Rumour has it that Giggs will not only retire this summer, but do so unwillingly. Unless Moyes goes, concludes the rumour mill, the Welshman will be gleefully employed away from Old Trafford in the summer.

10. Coaching methodology
On the topic, while some players expressed early season approval of Moyes’ boot-camp methodology, few in the sports science community concur. Is it a co-incidence that United’s injuries have been so devastating this season? Perhaps, but then there is more than a pause for thought. Giggs and Moyes reportedly fell out over the manager’s insistence on lengthy defensive training sessions too. This is, after all, not the United way.

TEAM MANAGEMENT

11. Rotation policy
Or lack thereof. Moyes’ use of a large squad is a contradiction. In 50 games as manager Moyes has rotated each time. Yet, as the season began the Scot over-used veteran Rio Ferdinand to such an extent that the 34-year-old was burnt out by October and seemingly heading for retirement. It has become clear Moyes has little idea how to manage a large and diverse squad.

12. Poor use of substitutes
Moyes’ negativity has become the punchline to a very bad joke, but the manager’s bizarre decision to substitute Rooney for Chris Smalling on 88 minutes as United led Southampton at Old Trafford last October seems a good précis. There was no injury to counter, simply a tactical switch to get “more height into the box”. The irony – a very sad one at that – is that United conceded from a corner. One could not, as the saying goes, make this up.

13. Lack of proactivity
It was always antithetical to hope Moyes might become the kind of dynamic, proactive, coach that many supporters believe United missed out on when passing over José Mourinho and Pep Guardola for the main job. The Scot has not disappointed his critics – so rarely changing a game in United’s favour through, for example, substitutions. The Reds’ loss to Bayern last week is a case in point, with Moyes making required changes at least 15 minutes too late.

MEDIA AND FANS

14. Trying – a lot!
He’s trying, oh so very trying. Moyes’ peripatetic use of the word “try” has become a social media meme and a definitive sign of the manager’s weakness. After all, Ferguson simply did – no trying required.

15. Aspiring to be City
The Blues are “at the sort of level we are aspiring to,” said Moyes after Manuel Pellegrini’s men ran out 3-0 winners at Old Trafford. It is the first time in the club’s history anybody has aspired to be like City. Just stop it. Now.

16. Not knowing what he has to do
“I don’t know what we have to do to win,” Moyes confessed after United’s loss at Stoke City in February. The Scot didn’t understand quite how literal the statement would become. Fortunately, while the team has disintegrated under Moyes, there are enough individuals of quality to ensure United’s record against mediocre opposition impresses.

17 & 18. Laying the blame everywhere but at his own doorstep…
Bad luck, injuries, individual mistakes, age profile, Ferguson, a lack of squad depth, a lack of talent – name it and Moyes has blamed it. Just not himself – ever – for the unholy mess that has become United’s season.

… and then point the finger at referees
On that theme, while all managers lay the blame for poor results at officialdom’s doorstep, Moyes has a habit of pointing the finger at the Premier League’s referees more than most. “We’re actually beginning to laugh at them, that’s the thing. It’s really terrible, it really is,” said the Scot after Fabio Borini’s 64th minute penalty in United’s Capital One Cup defeat to Sunderland. United has certainly been no more wronged than any other this season.

19. Talking down the players
“To win the Champions League, you need five or six world-class players,” Moyes said back in September. “That’s the level you have to be at to win it. We’ve not got that.” He was right, of course, but the statement fits a pattern of negativity. “I actually think if Sir Alex was here this year it would be difficult for Sir Alex as well,” he added in March. How supporters laughed. Oh, that’s right – we didn’t.

20. “We enjoyed it…”
… said Moyes after United’s defeat to Munich in the Champions League. The fans didn’t. It gave the impression Moyes has still not grown into the job – a manager permanently on a tourist’s high.

21. “They…”
… told Moyes a lot, didn’t they? Except how to manage the club it seems.

22. Lack of ambition
After defeat to mid-table Swansea City in the FA Cup Moyes bemoaned the fact that his side was not “hard to play against.” In response he promised that United would “make it difficult” for mid-table Newcastle United. There’s nothing quite like ambition, or lack of it – a philosophy that has defined a season, to the point that the Scot had two plans in the Reds’ pivotal Champions League fixture with Bayern Munich: to not lose, but if defeat was inevitable, to not lose too badly.

23. Never being far away
“We’ve not got the Champions League next season, but I believe it is not far away,” said Moyes after United tumbled out of Europe last week. About seven points at last count. There is always the promise of jam tomorrow.

24. Pulling the wool over supporters eyes
“It is a work in progress and it will take time to get it exactly how we want it,” said Moyes this season. While a period of transition may be part of the football lexicon, and cyclical changes are frequent at the top, few expected United’s fall to be so hard. After all there are new managers at City, Chelsea, Bayern, Real Madrid and Barcelona this season. None has suffered like United.

INJURIES

25. Over training van Persie
Back in July Moyes admitted that he had “overtrained” van Persie “to build up his fitness” with the Dutchman joining the pre-season camp in Australia late. After two injury-free seasons in succession the striker has missed more than half of United’s games this season. “The only way to solve this problem in Jurassic Park,” said rent-a-gob Dutch fitness coach Raymond Verheijen on Twitter, “is to improve education of these dinosaur coaches, fitness clowns and scientific cowboys.” In hindsight, it’s hard to argue with him.

26. Risking Rooney’s health
There was never a doubt; not a single moment when United’s manager considered not playing Rooney against Bayern in Germany. Less than 30 minutes into the fixture and it was obvious the Scouser was much the worse for his “bruised” – probably broken – toe. By then Rooney was simply hobbling around the centre circle, an inhibitor to United’s performance let alone an aid to an unlikely comeback. “I thought at times he was having a struggle striking the ball.” Well DUH.

27. Risking van Persie’s health
“I think if I’d brought him off (against Newcastle) some people would say ‘What are you doing? You are 1-0 down and you’re taking off your top goalscorer,’” said Moyes back in January. The Dutchman, fresh from a month out, played the full 90 as United lost to the Geordies at Old Trafford. The striker would sit out yet more time in the aftermath, and Moyes would continue to moan about injuries.

USING THE SQUAD

28. Ignoring the next generation
Adnan Januzaj has made an outstanding fist of his debut season in United’s first team, although many supporters argue that the Belgian-Kosovan player would have made it under any management. Yet, the 19-year-old aside, Moyes has offered little playing time to a rash of youngsters who have otherwise been sent out on loan. Winger Jesse Lingard, as one example, could hardly have done more to earn a shot at a place in Moyes’ team. He has spent the season excelling at Birmingham City and Brighton & Hove Albion.

29. “I wanted to give everybody a chance to play”
… said United’s manager more than once this season. Except, of course, he hasn’t – Wilfried Zaha, Fabio da Silva, Anderson, Nani, Shinji Kagawa, and Hernández will attest. You get the picture.

DERBY DAY THRASHINGS

30. Thrashed by Liverpool – twice
“We did a lot of things right,” said the Scot after United’s tame 1-0 defeat at Anfield last autumn. Except score a goal – or even threaten to. Even Moyes did not have the brass balls to make a similar claim as United conceded three to the same opponents at Old Trafford last month. Defeat to major rivals might be worth a P45 in its own right at many clubs throughout Europe.

31. Thrashed be Manchester City – twice
“It is one game,” said Moyes after Manchester City thrashed United 4-1 at Eastlands in September. “There are plenty more to come and plenty of time to fix it.” Except it wasn’t one game, not even nearly, with United losing more than a dozen games across the season, including all four against City and Liverpool.

STRATEGY AND TACTICS

32. Negative tactics
Parking. The. Bus. It’s just not the United way. Nor did it work against Bayern unless, unlike Rant, you witnessed a United victory in this season’s Champions League quarter-final. Yet, it is not just the two-legged defense-minded strategy employed against the German champions that has frustrated – Moyes has sought a safety-first approach all season. It has brought United just 56 goals in the Premier League – 19 fewer than at the same stage last season.

33. Playing football by accident
At Newcastle, Januzaj, Juan Mata and Kagawa combined to provide a flexible, vibrant attacking performance rarely seen under Moyes. It was a fluke. Not that the trio lack talent – far from it – but that they were deployed in tandem at all. Januzaj was overlooked for Ashley Young at the start, while Kagawa and Mata enjoyed more central roles only because Rooney and van Persie sat out the game. There was a similar pattern at Crystal Palace and West Ham United.

34. So few goals
It is a facet of Moyes’ negative approach, United’s direct style, injuries to key strikers or a combination? Either way the blame lays squarely at Moyes’ door, with United failing to match rivals scoring patterns this season. Liverpool has scored 34 more goals in the Premier League, and City 28. At Old Trafford the Reds have scored just 22 times – that’s as many as Stoke, and fewer than West Ham or Swansea City.

35. Long ball nonsense
There have been times when United’s approach this season has mirrored the classic long ball sides of the 1980s – Wimbledon, Cambridge United and Sheffield United. True, Moyes has not instructed Old Trafford’s ground staff to grow the grass longer, nor lay sand in the corners, but direct United undoubtedly has become. In defeat to Stoke at the Britannia, as one example, United launched 47 long balls forward into the swirling Potteries wind. Just 13 found their target.

36. Lack of entertainment
It’s not just about goals though. United’s style under Moyes has rarely brought supporters to their feet. Save for those few matches where United’s more creative players have been unleashed, the Reds functional style rarely seems to excite. Will it improve if Moyes remains at the helm? History and logic dictates this is unlikely.

PLAYERS

37. Under-using Hernández
The little Mexican has his critics and plenty of limitations, but the striker is the most ‘natural’ goal-scorer in Moyes’ squad. In a season when United has struggled to score and the Reds’ forward line has often been static, Chicharito’s under-use borders on the bizarre. Hernández will likely leave in the summer to compound Moyes’ failure.

38. Criminal misuse of Kagawa
“They tell me he’s a good player,” declared the manager of Kagawa back in August. ‘They’ apparently didn’t let Moyes know how, or when, to use the Japanese playmaker who has spent much of the season on the bench or stuck on the left-wing. Only in the Spring, with Kagawa and Mata combining to great effect, has the former Borussia Dortmund player been used in a fashion anywhere near optimal. Only for the Japanese to be shunted back to the left in United’s biggest game of the season against Bayern in Germany.

39. Attempting to destroy Juan Mata
“It is like putting a learner in a Ferrari,” said one great Italian coach of Gianluca Vialli’s appointment as Chelsea manager in 1998. In a similar vein Moyes’ early use of the Spanish maestro on the right wing was akin to using an F1 car for the milk round. It might work, but you’re not receiving the full benefit. Once Rooney returns to fitness next season expect the Spaniard to be hanging around the wing once again.

40. Placing Giggs the player in exile
The Welshman may be 40, but he remains the most creative central midfielder on United’s books. The decision to exclude Giggs from so many games this season has, in the context of a potential breakdown in the relationship between player-coach and manager, appeared rather personal.

41. Failing to deal with Ashley Young
Young is not only patently of sub-prime quality, but a serial diver too. Real Sociedad, Wigan Athletic and Crystal Palace can attest to Young’s penchant for taking a tumble, yet Moyes has been unrepentant. “The referee was two yards away from it and gave a penalty,” said Moyes after the Sociedad fixture. “If you need to talk to anybody, you should ask the referee. I didn’t see an issue at all.”

MAN MANAGEMENT

42. Dressing room leaks
Sir Alex locked down internal leaks with such vigour that media and supporters alike could rarely tell insider gossip from deliberate misinformation. Not so under Moyes, where not only have certain players regularly briefed the fourth estate on team news, but political factions can be easily calculated.

43. Factions
On that subject the numbers don’t weigh in Moyes’ favour. In one camp, so the rumour goes, the ‘Everton mob’ of Steve Round, Jimmy Lumsden, Phil Neville and Fellaini, together with Patrice Evra and Wayne Rooney. In the other a large group of disaffected players, player-coaches, and former greats. You do the math!

44. That ridiculous Dubai trip
On the subject of leaks, the word on the street pegs United’s mid-season ‘warm weather training’ camp as little more than marketing activity by day and bar hopping at night. Did Moyes plan the trip? Perhaps not. But the Scot certainly sanctioned it and then empowered the lunatics to take over the asylum.

BEING DAVID MOYES

45. A little boy lost
It is an ephemeral observation, but there’s little about Moyes that inspires confidence. From United’s insipid tactics, to all those desperately strange press conferences. He is a man that appears criminally out of his depth.

46. Dividing the fans
When a small plane carrying the message “Wrong One – Moyes Out” darted over Old Trafford last month it received jeers from United’s match going public. Moyes 1 – 0 protesters. Yet, every poll conducted, from those in the mass media, to fanzines and one on Rant too, concludes that supporters are universally critical of the job Moyes has done.

47. He’s a closet ginger
Enough said, really.

48. That banner
He wasn’t chosen, at least not by the fans – and not by a process that any corporate on the planet would accept. That’s not Moyes’ fault of course, but he has lapped up “support” offered and given very little back.

49. Presiding over more than a dozen defeats
10 defeats in the Premier League, one in the FA Cup, one in the Capital One Cup, two in European competition.

50. Achieving all those records!

The worst home league form for over a decade

Knocked out of the FA Cup in the third round – it occurred once under Fergie

Three defeats in a row for the first time since 2001

First home defeat to Newcastle United since 1972

First league defeat to Stoke since 1984

First ever home defeat to Swansea City

First home defeat to West Bromwich Albion since 1978

First time United have conceded a first minute goal at home in the Premier League

First time City and Liverpool have beaten United home and away in the Premier League era

United will finish with the lowest points tally in the Premier League era

… and yet there’s bound to be so many more. Add your ideas to the list below!

.51
Not telling Phil the Gargoyle to close his mouth whilst sitting on the bench thereby giving the world and his dog the impression that one of United’s coaches is a retard

Body language more appropriate to a homeless begger sat in a shop doorway

Is it me or have the players starting to ignore him during the games. There doesn’t seem to be much rapport hence the constant sight of the clown running up and down the touch line clapping his hands like a trained seal. Must put the fear of god in the opposition when they see a simpleton on the bench with his mouth drooping open and a manager looking like he wants some fish

wow i suspect you were feeling rushed not wanting to wait for the 100 in 100 , if that is , dm survives up to 100,
watching united for every one of 50 years it has been without doubt the most depressed i have ever been, even the doc and big ron gave something to watch and the odd cup, look i have forgotton how to write, only commas and no full stops, it has to get better soon, well fairly soon, otherwise my gramma will go to pot,

You can’t assess a transition after just one season. The 50 failings you mention are symptoms of how a true transition looks like in the beginning. A transition starts with a lot of problems and by acting on these you will gain more knowledge and be able to improve the system in which you are working in. How can you expect someone being 10 years in charge of Everton replacing Fergie after 26 years and making an instant impact?
All comparisons with other clubs imo are ridicule; every football club, manager, players, fans, culture, etc.. is different. Moyes will need time to adjust to all these aspects on and off the football pitch.
Having said that, criticism on Moyes has been just and you do expect us to be in a better position.

We need to have patience and view Moyes’s performances in the long term, that will tell of us if he he’s taking the club in to the right direction. There are no indications of going in the right direction now but you can’t expect to see these indicators in such an early phase of transition.
If next season gets any worse, then he’s in big trouble. I’m still giving him a chance and so is ManUtd, the guy has a six year deal so it’s a long term plan.

Why? As has been pointed out; plenty of teams have new managers and they’ve done rather well. Sure, it’s a big transition from Fergie. He has until this time next season to get silverwear, and losing home & away to City & Liverpool next season is simply a sackable offence.

Do you really understand the difference between a good coach and an average coach? You can give time to a good coach because he will come good, but give 10 years to an average coach, he will still remain average.

This is a ridiculously boring read Ed. I would rather you have written about 50 managers that can come in and replace Moyes than continue to write the same shite over and over again. You’re obviously an expert at picking out his faults, but how are at determining who should come in and manage United? My guess is somewhat limited, but I’d rather be proven wrong than have to continue to read this shite on a consistent basis. I know you can do better.

I’ll start us off, though. There are three managers in world football today that I would want to come in for Moyes. One is a La Decima failure away from being sacked. Another took one look at the job and pretended to not understand English. The last one would almost certainly have pissed everyone off, won a league or a trophy, and left within 3 years. Obviously Carlo is the most likely candidate and quite frankly the best candidate. Outside of him, anyone left is a big risk.

Thoughts? We need to start to change this discussion to something that at least looks like we’re capable of thinking as United supporters.

Who the fuck are you to criticise this summary of the season? A well-balanced write up of the season, marked with humour and accurate analysis, how the hell is that boring… Seriously. It’s far better than the reactive, biased shit from all of the newspaper journalists.

I’ve been reading Ed’s articles since 2005 and this was a very good one.

You’re putting Ancelotti forward as a potential candidate, not sure if he’d be interested in the United job but he would be a good option. In terms of other options I would say that Klopp would be ideal for building the team and developing the high tempo attacking football that United needs.

A while back I also mentioned Frank Rijkaard, but again not sure if he’d be interested. He brought Barcelona back to the top of the game 10 years ago and consistently had them playing stellar attacking football, more direct than the current Barça side, more unpredictable and exciting to watch. I would personally like to see Rijkaard getting the best out of Januzaj, Mata + Kagawa, our 3 best creative players.

Pochettino is a good option for the future, have posted a bit about him on the forum. With more experience he will be sought after by all the big clubs.

@Neil
I like the humor but there is nothing well-balanced or accurate about this piece with “rumors” at its base and I suspect Ed knows this. He has written pieces during this season that are far more well researched and fact driven than this shite, which is why I’m pushing him to expand his thinking a bit and change the topic of discussion. Moyes has his limitations, has made tactical mistakes, etc. I get it and agree with a good deal of it. But where is the balance? I’m to believe that Man United’s situation is 100% Moyes fault? Nothing is 100% so I want him to expand on what other causes may be the reason for such a downturn in United’s play this season. This article does not represent that whatsoever.

I also having been reading Ed’s articles for an extremely long time and this is without a doubt, not his best work.
—
re Ancelotti:
He would be out of his mind to want to leave Madrid for United. But being at Madrid means he could go at any second. Pep aside, look at the man’s track record. Managed in the PL. Check. Understand’s his position in the hierarchy of a club. Check. Tactically astute. Check. Works well with experienced players. Check. Mixes in youth and gets the best out of them. Check. He would be an ideal candidate and I would drag Moyes out of Manchester United myself if he became available.
—
re Klopp:
The popular choice and I have no idea why. He’s never managed outside Germany for starters and is he any more used to a big budget than Moyes was coming from Everton? There’s no doubt his team plays fantastic pressing, attack minded football, but look around at who United have got to play that system. Yeah…its gonna take a massive rebuild in a league he’s not familiar with at all. How good is he with complete overhauls or are we still going to hold fast to the idea that “this is the team that won the PL,” rhetoric.
—
re Rijkaard and Pochettino:
Rijkaard is a name I haven’t heard so points for originality. His ability to get the best out of our creative players may be possible but what about the defense. We’ll need to play some of that at a certain point in time so will he bring balance.

Pochettino…United can’t afford to wait that long first off, and he’s the exact type of manager United would have gotten rid of in Moyes. I understand his team plays a nice brand of football at times and their ability to attack the ball defensively is very good but he’s beyond unproven and United should obviously avoid making the same mistakes twice in taking in unproven managers, right?

I don’t see the need for balance or to be comprehensive about the issues in this piece. It doesn’t seek to do either as it’s a piece about Moyes. Are other actors – Fergie, the Glazers, Woodward – also at fault? Totally, but it’s not a piece about them and this isn’t the BBC – there’s no need to present both sides.

As for “Rumours” – there are 50 issues (well 49) each deserving of analysis I couldn’t offer the space to here. It’s necessarily reductive and I’m not apologising for that, but there’s a solid base to each.

Whether it’s “shite” – each to their own. I don’t seek or need your approval and your attempt to patronise is pretty desperate. To be honest it just comes off as smart arse, with no more depth than a thousand trolls on twitter.

You’ve previously made the argument about the need, in your view, to present a list of other managers who could do the job – as if somehow that is the only way to complete the analysis. Or worse – that it offers a defence for the incompetence that has been demonstrated here. It’s pretty weak stuff. It’s just fine to say Moyes is doing a bad job – especially since I’ve never actually asked for him to be replaced.

Finally, since I write this “shite” “over and over again” it might be better for you not to read, or read something that you enjoy more. Just a thought.

Lucas -
April 13, 2014

Ed,

This is a very good article and summarizes our season really, and it proves once and for all, Moyes has to be sacked for his failures. Agree or not, welcome to the #MoyesOut gang! 🙂

Briilliant article and you saying its not obviuosly you dont.have a clue about football. Do you support liverpool? He has pointed out 50 brilliant points, and to.say you wouldnt want guardiolla or klopp to replace moyes has moyes brought you over from everton, transistion my a** not.to play kagawa and adnan and nani against munich was a.disaster and leave harnendez out after the game he had. Andto.say hes spent less money than klopp where have you got that from? Liverpool told you? Moyes is a disaster and when.united fans say SAF was given time he had won numerous major trophies before ncoming to united beating madrid in a.super cup. So he had a proven record and.united where laying 18 not first. And why should he be given time hes done nothing and why should united fans support him he has no confidence his staff look lost. And to say let giggs go a legend amd not moyes what a joke . Why would legends listen to a moron giggs has morr skill in his little finger then moyes and his staff put together any one else would have won the league with united squad lets not use that as an excuse are u telling me.our squad is worse then evertons look how good they are playing please get rid of moyes before I shoot myelf cant take it anymore amd everyone saying moyed should be given time must support liverpool qhy should I see my club do not so well. Please get klopp please. Camt take it anymore aspireto city what nonsense they aspire to be like us!, moyes out!

Mate, instead of criticising the truth try to actually watch some football.
Why on earth would we hire Ancelotti???? He has the best squad in La Liga, by a mile, and is 2nd to Atletico over thirty-some games… How can you have Bale AND Ronaldo and actually lose a game??? This is ridiculous! The man is a joke. Really. Not playing Casillas?? Just because Jose didn`t? Give me a break.
True, he destroyed Premier League back in 2009 but it was Chelsea`s peak and he DID NOT BUILD that team, nor he DID NOT BUILD PSG in 2012.
Ancelotti is completely wrong for us, and will not be here for a long term.
The ideal candidate is Van Gaal, by a nautical mile!!!
Dutch. Check.
Experienced. Check.
Built Bayer Munich. Check
Invented 4-5-1. Check.
Hard working tyrant. Check.
Respected by the players. Double check. Just ask van Persie.
Over a period of 2-3 years he will make a new team – top to bottom. And I believe he can rehire Meleunsteen, get in some Dutch coaches and some cheap but great player from EreDivisie instead of some fuc..ing-joke excuse of a footballer like fellaini!
He actually want to join us.

What a beautiful sight would it be to see our bench “everton gang-less”
no lumsden, no gargoyle, no rounf, no moyles, no fellaini and NO FU..ING ROONEY.
Just get rid of this scouse-dross and we are so good to go!!!

Have to agree with everything you have said in a very good article. David Moyes as a manager is like entering a mongrel in Crufts and hoping it will win. As for the rest of his staff they never appear to contribute anything whilst sitting on the bench and if the opposition score Moyes looks like a Robot who has been switched off. It is not suprising Moyes has never won anything his whole attitude is wrong smacks so much of defeatsim and this of course rubs off on the players. I will predict now that whilst Moyes stays in charge we will not sign any player of any consequence after all who would want to play for an abject loser.

Moyes has no excuses the other teams, Chelsea, Man City, Bayern and Barcelona have had changes of manager without it seems little or no effect on their performances. That is why United must SACK Moyes and bring in a manager of stature with a CV to match

Good article and would agree with most points. The problems with focusing on potential new managers are
A) Beyond belief that it is, we still have Moyes as manager
B) The owners are football retards (North Americans) so do not have a Scooby anyway.
C) The owners will not listen to the fans.
As a possible candidate before we appointed Moyes, Martinez would have made my list.
And now? Maybe Diego Simeone if we can forgive him for the Beckham incident.

Completely agreed with everything until number 47 – There is no such thing as a closet ginger, you either are or you are not! And to suggest that the most awesome colour of hair could be the reason for his failure is obscured, remember our own Ginger Genius/Prince that only retired last May? He and the many other Ginger footballers attest to our higher understanding of the game! I’ll accept your apologies in comment before unleashing the Brotherhood on you Bitch ass!

Steven al Kajjal @ 2:07: “You can’t assess a transition after just one season. The 50 failings you mention are symptoms of how a true transition looks like in the beginning. A transition starts with a lot of problems and by acting on these you will gain more knowledge and be able to improve the system in which you are working in.”

I’m in two minds about this comment. On the one hand, this season has been a clusterfuck or massive, massive proportions but, on the other hand, it’s just unfair to blame TheMoyessiah for the precipitous decline of the team’s defensive core or the spate of injuries to clusters of players in the central defence. However, there’s nothing in TheMoyessiah’s previous tries at managing a mid-table club to suggest that he’s a mid-table manager – competent and uninspiring. His pressers are simply embarrassing.

But, of course, the real question is whether (or not) the powers-that-be see things in the same way that internet-posters do. Moreover, the “thinking” of the owners is essentially hidden.

From what we have seen over the past decade, the Glazers are in for the long haul – and why not, considering the huge amount of increased revenue they’ve created which has resulted in their initial investment of U$ 250,000,000 seems to have increased ten-fold (less that pesky debt of about U$ 300,000,000) ? So, if the Glazers were to sell today then they would probably pocket something like U$ 2,200,000,000 (i.e., almost two billion dollars of profit).

Can the revenues go even higher – are there new sources of revenue that have not yet been tapped ? I’d be loathe to be negative on that subject as the cyber-world has created many, many opportunities and, whatever the current state-of-affairs, Manchester United Football Club is still one of the three/four/five main “brands”. Even missing out on a season (or two) or CL footie won’t be catastrophic for the owners but what must be assessed is whether (or not) TheMoyessiah is the man to bring back even a pale shadow of glory.

Pruning the payroll by letting Rio and Vidic and Evra and Giggs and Nani and Anderson and (hopefully) AshleyBloodyYoung leave will probably “save” considerably-more than 500,000 quid per week which will be re-invested in two/three or maybe four signings in the summer (hopefully, more like Mata [not Fellaini] in quality).

The club’s huge, huge monetary value means that quadrupling Toni Kroos’ wages (from a reported 65K/Week to 250K/Week) won’t make much of a dent on a transitional salary-structure. Indeed, if the stories about using the sponsorships to defray the costs of TheWayneBoy’s weekly wages by providing him with more “commercial visibility” then the impact of paying over-the-odds is actually less than the straight-ca$h payments that petro-clubs have laid out.

Now, let’s cut-to-the-chase: If TheMoyessiah is deemed inadequate by the powers that be then there’s really only one candidate for the job – Jurgen Klopp.

Klopp-o (or Klopp-i, depending on regional variations) has a brilliant track record, both in the Bundesliga AND the CL. He has a great, great eye-for-talent and his teams play in a very exciting manner. He’s daft-as-a-brush in the tradition of the late, great Cloughie and his English is OK, too. (Let’s not forget that when plain Alexander Chapman Ferguson came to M/C in the mid-80’s there were lots of complaints about his unintelligibility). In all those ways, Jurgen Klopp would be a manager in “the United tradition”. Anyone else would be a stop-gap.

Continuing with TheMoyessiah is, perhaps, even more of a gamble than hiring him in the first place since a-year-into-the-job there’s precious-little to suggest that he’s likely to grow/evolve into it.

Stick-or-twist ? I’d go for a change – and a “transition” – since continuity has been a real fuck-up.

I just don’t get where the believers are getting their faith on. Fergie’s words alone?

We have pointedly proven to be unable to beat any quality teams at all, with only 2 wins vs. Top Nine teams in the Premier League. Newcastle away, as the article says, seems to be more accident than design.

This, to me, is more alarming than any number of drubbing at the hands of City or Liverpool or any of the big clubs, for it indicates a clear failure to deal with the bread and butter games that you have to be handling reasonably well to be even moderately successful in the league.

If that does not scream out of depth, I don’t know what does.

Yes, we have a good away record, but take a closer look. It’s not that good. All of the top 4 or 5 teams have similar away records, and it doesn’t change the fact that we simply don’t win at good teams. It’s not like we’re miles in front, and we still got to visit Everton and Southamption.

The Giggs situation is the most frustrating for me, if he goes then that’s a disgrace.

Gary Neville said the job would change him. it has to but there’s no evidence that it has in the psat or ever will. Most managers have a philosophy and don’t change over their 40+ year management career.
Can anyone name a manager that has completely overhauled their philosophy?
They get a result at some point and believe that it works. Moyes doesn’t know how to do it another way and because of that I think if he did try to change it would be even worse. Defence is about all he’s meant to know (and it’s been shit this year).

Ed said on the rantcast a few weeks back that Moyes is a loser and I think he’s right.

As for the fans, their supporting the club and or the team but not the manager.

People keep asking who to replace him with and that would really have to wait until the end of the season but I’d take Klopp, Giggs even Howdy fucking Doody over this ripe stinking turd.

You can see in his body language when the team concedes he doesn’t try to rally anyone or change things he just slumps over as if he’s thinking shit people tell me we usually win.

Surprised Evra’s on his side as he’s been trying to replace him all season.

I honestly don’t believe if he wasn’t Scottish he would have got the job. It’s a nice idea to give someone from the home nations a shot but this guy is so bad he could manage England.

Many good points (ginger aside) here. It was pretty evident early on that Moyes was making some horrendous clangers. The lack of immediacy in the summer transfer window would cost most people their jobs. The tactics have been woeful at times and the insipid press conferences don’t help.
What really bothered me was the shameless courting of Rooney which made Moyes look desperate and broke Fergie’s golden mantra of “No one is bigger than the club”.
I don’t think Van Gaal is the man for the job but I would be delighted to hear that the club are in the market for a replacement before more damage is done.

Van Gaal would be excellent – with Frank De Boer as his n umber two! Let Van Gaal sort out the mess, get United back to the top and then De Boer can take over after say a few seasons. Bring Meulensteen back as first team coach and we’ll have a Dutch triumvirate in charge – geared for success.

David Moyes for me should be sacked, Jamie Rednapp said Man u is not a sacking club but moyes started the sacking spree. He didn’t need to sack fergie’s back room staff,eric went to learn spanish just to be able to help De gea, Even when fergie was on suspension or had other things to do where we have mike phelan incharge of the team, we hardly lost. What tactical input have u seen from Moyes dis season? We play lots of long ball into the ball.. With the long balls, how many headed goals have we scored this season. We now play our football from the flanks, how many goals have come from midfield? Why is tom cleverly playing ahead of anderson? A half fit anderson is way better then a fully fit cleverly…he’s not proven to be clever to me. Anderson has only played 3 to 4 games this season, started only two games. Tell me, what style of football are we playing this season. What credentials has got phil neville to be first team coach, that guy retired from football last season, he should try his hands on some youth academy first. Now compare

Mike Phelan _ Stone
Meulesten _ phil neville

Our defence is in shambles

Moyes has failed to instil confidence into the players. Our Subs have failed to change games, what does he tell them before they come on and u blame the players? They are professionals, top coaches bring the best out of their players. Now think of this, u say some players are not good enough. How many players have gone to make it elsewher after leaving machester united under fergie, only a few…So good coaches bringout the best out of their players.
Moyes’ appointment of his backroom staff has been based on sentiment not professionalism.
Silvo belusconi once said if u give a good material to a bad tailor, he will ruin it. Moyes is ruining it.

We were not that bad last season, in the champions league, we lost to a real madrid team narrowingly to a controversial red card, in the f.a cup, we lost to a a chelsea team where they keep spending millions to bring in players. We won the league by 11 points.
We man u fans knew the problems we had last season.. We were playing well, we only had midfield problems and all we needed was a blocking 4 and a kevin strootman was identified to solve this problem but only for moyes to take his eyes off a good 15million rated player to pursue a waste of fellaini.
He let down some player in midfield by publicly going after some player.how else do u kill a player’s morale if not to tell him indirectly am going to get someone to do ur job. We had anderson, he’s young, fergies believes in the lad but has got injury wories, yet he went after a fabregas who denied him…. So many issues that I can’t think of now… Phil jones should be played in defence. Buy strootman, get very techical back room staff.. And most importantly, he should relax on his training method, it is taking too much out of the player they burn out before getting into the field. Van persie has refused to stay fit hamstring and groin,rooney groin, nani hamstring, jones- groin, rafeal hamstring and groin. Its no coincedence most of these injuries have been reoccuring injuring to these players this season and most during training. When Arteta go to arsenal, he said the training method at arsenal was different that at everton, they do more training off the ball than on the ball.. So where will the tactical play come from? We play the ball around aimlessly in the midfield. Then to the flanks… If we need to score goals, we need to play sexy interchangable football, I don’t see that happening under Moyes. Watch the way liverpool , arsenal, Tottenham… They play good football. We have Rooney, Van persie and Chicharito in our team and we struggle to score… Put this search word on google “(Video) This Excellent Shinji Kagawa Compilation Reveals ” and watch the video attached to it and see how shitty we play. The way we play has defeated the primary ain of football which is score goals and stop your opponent from doing thesame. Instead, we refuse to create chances to score goal and allow our opponents score us

If we want changes to be effected, it time we start voicing our grieviances on every social media (football version of the arab spring) and name who we want as next coach.. I vote for Jurgen Klopp… Let open a twitter handle who we want as coach… The @moyesout handle is still on . That should be used to push out moyes..

If Moyes is given the time that his supporters demand, what will happen?

Like managers do, Moyes will build a team which reflects himself; cautious, negative, pessimistic with limited ambition. He doesn’t even understand the United way of playing, let alone know how to achieve it.

The team will be on a par with Moyes’ Everton, not Martinez Everton which is a much better team. Therein lies the indictment. No-one at Everton wants him back. What suckers we are!

Quite a funny read but also unfortunately frustratingly accurate.
I never wanted Moyes and 10 months on, he’s been an absolute disaster. Does anyone know what style he’s trying to achieve? We are just playing clueless football.
I’ve been season ticket holder since 1970 and I’ve seen some crap teams, but this year, Moyes has managed to play the worst football I’ve seen.
I am depressed until this complete idiot, together with all the coaching staff are sacked, and if saf, Charlton and the rest of the board can’t see their mistake, then we’re in serious trouble.
On the subject of his successor, klopp or van gaal or Simone will all be great choices, providing they want to come and providing our board take their collective heads out of their arses.
Change the manager now or we’ll be having the same conversation this time next year.

just curious, I was one and not the only one who liked the Moyes appointment at first, didn’t want Maureen, and I thought the squad would be good enough to carry the new manager through his first couple of years. I am no fool, however, and after a season trying to support this man, I’m through. dull football and a defeatist attitude will not do at Manchester United and I think United fans are all ready for a change– any change. Maureen ain’t coming, Ancelloti, even he just wins the title over Barca and cross town rivals, will keep his job, Klopp–who knows? is Ole ready? Giggs?
some people are ready for them and they have no experience– just think it’s time to start talking about solutions.

Joe Jordans Teeth, ready for a “change any change”…United need major rebuilding and arent in shape to do it. Moyes is coping the flack as a bit of a fall guy but this season is just inevitable chickens coming home to roost.

The options open to him among the playing staff are limiting. Even the “50 points above” proves that if the author dares to admit it to himself.

The rebuilding process isnt trivial either. Ed Woodward started off boasting he could get any players we wanted. He got shot down in flames by the agents of all the players Moyes WANTED.

No point using Fellaini as a comeback to that. Moyes clearly didnt want Fellaini all that much…otherwise we’d have signed him earlier in the summer for cheaper. He was the last ditch 11th hour punt when Woodward failed in all the signings Moyes identified.

If the Glazers backed Woodward…we wouldnt have been signing Fellaini at all.

Too little too fucking late. No use in writing this article now. This article should have been written after consecutive home defeats in January. If anyone needed to wait till now to see Moyes was shit then he/she is no better than the sandwitch eating cunts who booed the plane at Old Trafford. His cowardly nature was clearly on display since the home game with Chelsea in the second game of the season. But no one batted an eyelid then in a game up there with the worst I have ever seen at OT.

So just to say up yours to the Moyes suppoerters, let him have a year, let him burn down the foundations of the club which will be even be more painful as Liverpool are likely to be Champions. I hope that hurts the cynical selfish Ferguson who ruined our great club so he wont be overshadowed. What an evil cunt he is. Just terrible.
No one blames him now just like no one blamed Moyes 2-3 months ago but slowly but surely his selfish final act will rip his fucking legacy to shreds.

In the era of Moyes, gone has the aura of United.
Everyone knows that United needs a lot of more star players – but with results this season, which star player would want to come to United? Even if they do, United would have to shell out a lot more for players to come here than before.
Its years of the brand ‘United’ that has been wiped off in just one season. And as a business, losses in money can be made up for – Reputational losses take a hell of a longer time to recover from.

Here’s another one, Moyes has no respect for the players and vice versa. Why are players out on the streets at 3am,dancing and drinking? Would they have done this under Fergie? Would they hell as like, they’d be called in the following morning and given the sharp end of his hair dryer and sold in the next window. If Moyes doesn’t go in the summer, we’ll officially be the new Everton.

Criticising the manager for not picking Giggs more ? Doesnt that tell you the scale of the problem.

Criticising him for taking a punt on playing van Persie instead of Welbeck ? Jesus wept.

Criticising him for not playing Mata, Kagawa, Janusaj, van Persie, Rooney every game ? And not playing them ALL centrally ? LMAO.

A lot of rebuilding needs doing in that squad. Whether any manager will be able to do that quickly and effectively while hampered by wages we can offer and consequent negotiating power available to Woodward.

Theres a clue in the fact that we are only able to secure the signings of actual castoffs.

While United fans seem able to focus on managers and ignore the influence of the Glazers, we are barking up the wrong tree.

Spot on…all 50 points are correct…THE MAN IS AN ABSOLUTE CLOWN…the club should just admit the mistake of employing such a clueless twat and do the RIGHT THING…SACK THE FOOL…no other major brand company would even dream about employing such an under qualified fool like moyes…biggest mistake utd have made in absolute donkeys years….GET RID….